Candidates for Gov. of California

[mrskippy]

OK ... this is getting fun now. Can't we just vote already.

-- A group is putting the finishing touches on getting Gary Coleman on the ballot, by this weekend's deadline. According to Celiberal.com Coleman is considered a righty, having been a strong supporter of G.W. Bush.

-- Gallagher, the dude who smashes watermelons. Also considered a righty by Celeliberal.com. This guy has the most hilarious platform of any candidate and may take over for Larry Flynt at the top of my list.

Gallagher's Platform (http://www.gallaghersmash.com/html/platforms.htm)

Gallagher's Campaign Slogans (http://www.gallaghersmash.com/html/Slogans.htm)

-- Larry Flynt, a liberal guy with some great ideas, like expanding gambling, legalizing prostitution, and taxing it all.

-- A nobody named Art Brown, who may have one of the most creative capaign ideas yet. He's supposedly doing a movie laden with the f-word.

http://fthemovie.net/

-- Arianna Huffington, one time right-winger, turned progressive, who dislikes Gray Davis, but doesn't want to let the Republicans get to replace him. So far, I've read her stuff and I want to read more of her ideas.

-- Angelyne, a lady who has billboards of herself around L.A. Some guy from NBC gathered signatures around the studio.

-- Name recognition candidates. There's a Michael Jackson, Richard Simmons, someone from San Francisco named Dan Feinstein, and an S. Issa.

-- Plenty of no-names. It's expected that 400 have picked up papers. That is expected to be narrowed somewhat this weekend when people must turn in $3,500 and 65 signatures. Many people have said they simply couldn't pass up an the easiest way to get in on a governor's race. Yeah, but not everyone who wants to run has $3,500 to burn.

-- Plenty of unannounced names. Arnold is supposed to say one way or the other prior to taping tonight's episode of The Tonight Show I believe. If he doesn't run, former L.A. Mayor Richard Riordan is expected to run.

-- Dianne Feinstein said she is out and is backing Davis.

The fun is only just beginning.

[clintl]

Originally posted by mrskippy
-- Larry Flynt, a liberal guy with some great ideas, like expanding gambling, legalizing prostitution, and taxing it all.



This would kill the economy of Nevada.

[Fritz]

Jello Biafra's not running?

[Swaggs]

This a great tribute to the Californians who were actually civil-minded enough to vote in the real election last year.

[tucker342]

If I remember right, the other canadidate wasn't much better..... Pretty much anyone way you look at it, California is going to get a shitty governor.

[mrskippy]

Originally posted by clintl
This would kill the economy of Nevada.

Your from Davis. So you know what Thunder Valley is doing to Reno right? Throw in a craps table, a roulette wheel, sportsbook, a poker room, and a hotel and that place is no different than Nevada. It's an amazingly nice casino.

As for killing Nevada's economy. Isn't that what they said about Atlantic City back in the 70s and about many other areas of the US in the past 5-10 years as legalized gambling takes hold in newer parts?

I voted in last year's election, though I didn't like either choice.

[cthomer5000]

Originally posted by Fritz
Jello Biafra's not running?

it's truly surprising. He was running for mayor of San Francisco some years back, right? I think he dropped out once they decided he had to use his legal name.

[digamma]

Arnold = In.

This whole thing is a circus.
I can't decide who to blame, the Republicans for nominating Simon last year or Davis for running the negative campaign against Riordan in the primaries that helped get Simon the nomination.

mrskippy--see my indian gaming post in the al sharpton thread.

[McSweeny]

Originally posted by Fritz
Jello Biafra's not running?

i was just going to say the same thing

[cthomer5000]

I'm very excited about Arnold running. I say the more cast members of The Running Man in public office, the better.

[mrskippy]

So, my three choices are going to be between Arnold, Flynt and Gallagher. :D

[timmynausea]

I think Jello still has all kinds of problems with legal fees because of the other ex-dead kennedys suing him.

[mrskippy]

Originally posted by digamma


mrskippy--see my indian gaming post in the al sharpton thread.

Saw it. Thanks. You're right. While I voted to allow the Indian gaming (any casinos are better than no casinos), I'd much rather have seen it open to anyone.

The Indian tribes were smart to bring in Harrah's, Station, Trump, Park Place, and whoever else to help build and manage the properties.

But I believe California needs to go to the polls again to open up gaming to others and to add the rest of the gambling menu.

[Swaggs]

I am shocked I haven't heard any Total Recall references yet.

[mrskippy]

Well, at the end of his speech he did say "I'll be back."

[clintl]

Originally posted by mrskippy
Your from Davis. So you know what Thunder Valley is doing to Reno right? Throw in a craps table, a roulette wheel, sportsbook, a poker room, and a hotel and that place is no different than Nevada. It's an amazingly nice casino.

As for killing Nevada's economy. Isn't that what they said about Atlantic City back in the 70s and about many other areas of the US in the past 5-10 years as legalized gambling takes hold in newer parts?

I voted in last year's election, though I didn't like either choice.

Yeah, Thunder Valley is booming. I haven't been there, and I don't have much interest in gambling, anyway, so I may never go. I would be very surprised, though, if gamblers from California don't have a bigger effect on Nevada's economy than the rest of the country combined. There are so many people here, and it is so easy to drive to Nevada for the weekend from the major metropolitan areas.

[cthomer5000]

Originally posted by Swaggs
I am shocked I haven't heard any Total Recall references yet.

someone made a great one around here a few weeks ago, but i'm really shocked I haven't heard it in the press. The whole Arnold-for-governor thing is headline gold.

[clintl]

Originally posted by cthomer5000
it's truly surprising. He was running for mayor of San Francisco some years back, right? I think he dropped out once they decided he had to use his legal name.

No, he was actually on the ballot and finished fourth or fifth in the voting once.

[mrskippy]

Originally posted by clintl
Yeah, Thunder Valley is booming. I haven't been there, and I don't have much interest in gambling, anyway, so I may never go. I would be very surprised, though, if gamblers from California don't have a bigger effect on Nevada's economy than the rest of the country combined. There are so many people here, and it is so easy to drive to Nevada for the weekend from the major metropolitan areas.

I don't think the Indian casinos have as much impact on Las Vegas though. Unlike other gambling areas, Las Vegas is a vacation destination and offers so much more than gambling. And everytime I've been it is crowded.

[TredWel]

Originally posted by cthomer5000
I'm very excited about Arnold running. I say the more cast members of The Running Man in public office, the better.

If I ever have to utter the words "Governor Richard Dawson", may God strike me dead.

[digamma]

Originally posted by mrskippy
I don't think the Indian casinos have as much impact on Las Vegas though. Unlike other gambling areas, Las Vegas is a vacation destination and offers so much more than gambling. And everytime I've been it is crowded.

This is true. The Indian casinos target locals first. There are a few that are trying to get into the vacation destination business. The Pala tribe is opening a resort and the Cabazon tribe had plans to do the same (but they might have scrapped those when the high yield markets fell apart last year).

[Craptacular]

Originally posted by TredWel
If I ever have to utter the words "Governor Richard Dawson", may God strike me dead.

That would be better than Gov. Fleetwood. Don't. Stop. Thinking about tomorrow.

[mrskippy]

I can't wait for the debate.

[mrskippy]

Out of 356 who've taken out papers and out of 511 possible candidates to far, only 7 have turned in their papers, but not certified (3 Dem., 1 Rep., 1. Lib., and 2 Ind.)

Source: Statewide Special Election - Candidate Status Report (http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/recall_cand.htm)

[sabotai]

"I can't wait for the debate."

For once we agree.

Flynt: The First Admendment is the...

Arnold: SHUT UP YOUR FACE!

[mrskippy]

The one thing I like the most about Flynt is his stance on the First Amendment. While I may not buy a copy of Hustler personally, I fully believe he has the right to publish and sell it anywhere in the US. The one thing I like is when he told the press that his case in the Supreme Court wasn't just about him, but about those same people covering the story that day.

One thing I think is for certain. Even if there are 200 people on the ballot, they probably won't be in the debate. My guess is any debate will feature Davis plus the big names looking to replace him (Arnold, Huffington, Issa, Simon, McClintock, Flynt, Gallagher, Coleman and maybe D.L. Hughley are the only ones that come to mind).

I don't think it's right to bash the fact that celebrities are in the running. After all Ronald Reagan was a celebrity and look where it took him. He also had been president of SAG and highly involved in politics already. Arnold also has political backgrounds, though he "currently" (and I stress that, since there has been mumblings of changing the Constitution to allow non-natural US Citizens to run) is forbidden from being President (though he could technically be on a Cabinet ... like Madeline Albright).

Speaking of candidates, I found the list. Arnold, Huffington, Coleman aren't on it yet. I'm sure by the end of the week they will be. Anyway, I only recognize a handful of people:

http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/recall_cand_status.pdf

[mrskippy]

Well, you can now add Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante to the race. He is supposed to make it official at a morning press conference. He's the first big name state Democrat to enter the race.

[mrskippy]

Dola again...

CNN now reports that former baseball commish Peter Ueberroth will pull papers on Thursday and run as an independent.

Yet another credible candidate and another for sure player at any debates.

[Fritz]

Originally posted by clintl
No, he was actually on the ballot and finished fourth or fifth in the voting once.

From allmusic:


In 1979, a year before the Kennedys' influential debut Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables was released, Biafra ran for mayor of San Francisco on a bet; his platform included holding auctions for high-ranking city government positions, setting up a board of bribery to handle liquor licenses and building codes, banning automobiles in the city limits, forcing businessmen to dress in clown suits, and allowing vagrants legal access to empty buildings. (Voters apparently found the satire compelling enough to place Biafra fourth out of ten candidates.)


I am not at all behind Biafra's vision, but he is very politcal.


If not Biafra, then how about :

08/01/03: TSOL Vocalist Running For Governor of CA

SANTA MONICA, California -
A singer perhaps best known for a song called "Abolish Government" is now hoping to join it.

Jack Grisham, frontman for the veteran punk group T.S.O.L., announced to MTV News on Wednesday (July 30) that he is running for governor of California in the controversial October 7 recall election to unseat incumbent Democrat Gray Davis.

"I can't afford heath insurance, so I figure if I'm governor, at least they have a good health insurance plan," Grisham joked. The charming singer made light of his first interview as a politician, but insisted his campaign is entirely serious.

"For years I was always, 'F--- the government. F--- the government. F--- the government.' I was always bitching and not doing a thing about it," he explained. "And the other day I said, 'Now I am.' I just got tired of seeing people hurt, that was the biggest thing. I got three sisters who are teachers, two brothers who are police officers, a bunch of friends who are labor workers, dock workers. I work with undocumented alien immigrants all the time and I got tired seeing what they go through and no one caring. And they put this new budget out and the first thing they slash is health care and the first thing they start screwing is the people."

Grisham, who works labor jobs when not touring, will make heath-care reform the center of his platform. Recently, the singer himself was denied health care because his income was just more than the qualifying limit. "I said to the lady, 'So if I quit my job and left my wife and kids, you could fix my back?' " Grisham said. "And she said, 'Yes.' "

As for the state's budget crisis, Grisham said he would hire top accountants to come up with solutions. "It's like being a producer, you get the best people around you to take care of business," he said.

On other issues, Grisham is for legalizing and taxing both marijuana and prostitution, and supports full amnesty for undocumented aliens.

"Another big part of my platform is volunteerism, getting the community involved," he said. "People are just taking and giving nothing in return."

Grisham believes California is ready for an everyday guy, "someone who wears sandals with his sport coat" (as he did Wednesday), to be governor.

"The average California citizen is not riding around in a limousine," he said. "A lot of these [other candidates] want to talk about drug abuse and alcohol abuse and all that, but they've never seen it. You have no idea what these people experience until you've experienced it. Since the end of 1988, I've lost 80-something friends to drugs and alcohol abuse. I've been arrested. When was the last time a politician spent the night in jail? All jails create are more animals."

Grisham, who will run as an independent ("No one will take me," he joked), decided to join the unprecedented gubernatorial race only a few days ago, after friends made the suggestion. "Someone called me and said, 'Have you ever been convicted of a felony?' And I said, 'Well, never convicted,' " Grisham recalled. "And they said, 'Well, we want you to run for governor.' So I said, 'I'm in.' "

T.S.O.L. (True Sounds of Liberty), who formed in Huntington Beach, California, in 1978, were an influence on many other California punk bands forming at the time, including Bad Religion, the Dead Kennedys and Social Distortion.

Grisham left the band in the mid-'80s, but rejoined in 1999 and recorded 2001's Disappear with the original lineup. T.S.O.L.'s next album, Divided We Stand, is due September 9, however Grisham refused to talk about the project.

"The fact that I play music has nothing to do with this," he said. "I'm willing to give that all up to take this job. This really matters, it's not a joke."

Another entertainer, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has hinted he might run as well, but a Republican Party spokesperson said Wednesday that he will not.

Davis, who was re-elected governor a year ago, has been blamed for California's $38 billion deficit and accused of being indecisive during the energy crisis. Earlier this summer, Republicans gathered the required number of signatures ? 12 percent of the total number of voters in the previous gubernatorial election, in this case, 897,158 ? for a recall, the first in the U.S. since the governor of North Dakota was removed in 1921.

To get onto the recall ballot, a candidate needs only 65 signatures and a $3,500 filing fee. Because so many names will be on the ballot and the length of the campaign period is so short, less traditional candidates have a better chance in a recall than in a normal gubernatorial election.

This report is provided by MTV News

[Leonidas]

TSOL rocks! Now all we need is a candidate from The Dead Milkmen and Henry Rollins to announce.

[clintl]

What amazes me is how many people with no chance to win are willing to throw away $3500 to be on the ballot.

[Buccaneer]

$3500 can buy a lot of publicity.

[clintl]

Originally posted by mrskippy
Well, you can now add Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante to the race. He is supposed to make it official at a morning press conference. He's the first big name state Democrat to enter the race.

I'm not sure how I feel about this. With Feinstein not running (and I don't blame her for sticking to her word), my first preference for a top state Democrat to break ranks and run would have been John Garamendi. I think he would be an excellent governor, given the chance. I'm not as thrilled with Bustamante. But with Arianna Huffington and Arnold in the race, I think it would be a bad idea now for any other prominent Democrats to get in. Bustamante running alone is now the best chance for the party to keep the seat if Davis loses the recall.

[QuikSand]

Forgive my ignorance - but I'm assuming that if you vote "no" on the recall, then you canot vote for one of the replacement options, right? (I'd say it has to be so, but then this is California)


Assuming that's true, what does a "loyal" Democrat do here? Go by the polls? If it looks like Davis's recall is assured, then you vote "yes" on the recall and then pick the Democrat you support most? But what if the recall question itself looks too close to call?

This also might present a real problem for pollsters - it's certainly possible that a valid poll about the recall question migth reveal, say, 55% Yes and 45% No - but on the actual vote, it might end up going 70% Yes, 30% No, just due to the weird incentives I'm weighing here.

[Ksyrup]

Didn't Arnold (the big one, not the little one) have some sort of heart surgery in the past couple of years? I'm just hoping questions about his health come up, culminating in one of the candidates raising questions about a lump on his forearm live on TV during a debate, to which Arnold would exclaim:

It's not a too-MAHHH!

[Butter]

Does anyone else find it painful to watch Arnold talk any more? He seems easier to take in older films, but any more it's like he has to vomit each word from his esophagus.

Dude, when your neck is wider than your thigh, you can rest!

[clintl]

Originally posted by QuikSand
Forgive my ignorance - but I'm assuming that if you vote "no" on the recall, then you canot vote for one of the replacement options, right? (I'd say it has to be so, but then this is California)




No, that is wrong. You can still cast a vote for a replacement candidate, no matter how you vote on the recall. In fact, following a recent court ruling on the California recall process, you do not even have to cast any vote on the recall question itself to be able to vote for one of the candidates. Thus, there is no big dilemma for loyal Democrats - they can vote "No' on the recall, and then still vote for an acceptable alternative candidate if the recall succeeds.

As of now, however, Davis cannot be on the ballot as a replacement candidate (he is suing to change that, but probably will be unsuccessful).

[GrantDawg]

Originally posted by QuikSand
Forgive my ignorance - but I'm assuming that if you vote "no" on the recall, then you canot vote for one of the replacement options, right? (I'd say it has to be so, but then this is California)


Assuming that's true, what does a "loyal" Democrat do here? Go by the polls? If it looks like Davis's recall is assured, then you vote "yes" on the recall and then pick the Democrat you support most? But what if the recall question itself looks too close to call?

This also might present a real problem for pollsters - it's certainly possible that a valid poll about the recall question migth reveal, say, 55% Yes and 45% No - but on the actual vote, it might end up going 70% Yes, 30% No, just due to the weird incentives I'm weighing here.

I'm not an expert on the issues, but I believe the answer to your question is no. You can vote against recall yet still vote for the replacement. They are two seperate line items. I believe they also just had the desicion that you can "abstain" from the first line (to recall or not) and vote for the replacement.


Can someone give me some background on what caused this recall vote?

[cuervo72]

Originally posted by Butter_of_69
Does anyone else find it painful to watch Arnold talk any more? He seems easier to take in older films, but any more it's like he has to vomit each word from his esophagus.

Dude, when your neck is wider than your thigh, you can rest!

I think it's more funny than anything.

I'd love for Arnold to become the governor of Cauliflowera.

[clintl]

Originally posted by GrantDawg
Can someone give me some background on what caused this recall vote?

Essentially, here is the chronology of events that took Davis from being a pretty well-liked governor to being recalled:

2000-2001- California energy crisis. Voters place a big part of the blame on Davis, and in fairness, he did react pretty slowly. Big hit in approval polls.

March 2002 - With help from Davis ads bashing moderate Republican frontrunner Richard Riordan, right wing political novice Bill Simon upsets Riordan for the Republican nomination for governor. Big budget problems are becoming apparent as well.

November 2002 - After nasty campaign in which both sides run negative campaigns that attack the integrity of the other candidate, and all but ignore the real issues, Davis wins a narrow victory for Simon. Both come out of the campaign as extremely unpopular figures.

December 2002 - Davis announces that the projected deficit over the next 18 months is bigger than expected ($38B vs. $23B). The recall effort is launched by activists who accuse Davis of hiding the size of the deficit to enhance his re-election chances.

Early 2003 - Rep. Darrell Issa kicks in a big pile of cash ($1.7M) to fund the recall effort, and plans his run as a replacement candidate.

Spring-Early Summer 2003 - As little progress seems to be made on the budget, the recall effort picks up steam, and enough signatures are eventually collected to get it on the ballot.

Basically, this boils down to Davis' perceived ineffectiveness on two major crises that have been very harmful to the state's finances, plus the fact that the Republicans did not run a candidate who could have beaten Davis in 2002. Davis was easily beatable if the Republicans had nominated a decent candidate.

[Ufer]

I'm curious about the Garamendi-Bustamante dynamic. I'm sure the Dem Party wants one candidate so as not to split the vote, so why does Garamendi get in the race? In a Dem Party conf. call yesterday, most Dems said either Leon Panetta or Bustamante should be the sole candidate.

One logical Dem campaign is: "vote no on recall and vote for Cruz Bustamante, because he's the man you elected as the #2 man in the state and who you elected to succeed Davis if he was incapacitated."

I know, among other reasons she didn't run, Feinstein was opposed by labor and the teacher's union.

[clintl]

As of this morning's paper, Garamendi was still thinking about it, and I'm sure he will get enormous pressure now not to run. You're right that now that Bustamante is in the race, that's the logical Democratic campaign, and that's probably how Bustamante will run.

[GrantDawg]

Thanks, clintl.

[mrskippy]

Bustamante better get to know his oppponents better if he's going to use things like gun-control, abortion, etc.

While Arnold is a fiscal conservative and sides with the Republicans on those matters, he is a social moderate or liberal, a progressive.

The one thing that is funny about this is that among the major candidates, there are more moderates or liberals than conservatives actually running.

[clintl]

That is normal. The three hardcore conservatives (Simon, McClintock, and Issa) have not been polling very well in any of the matchups, either. Peter Camejo, the Green Party candidate, has been polling better than McClintock and Issa.

[Fritz]

Have any of the potential candidates killed a bar when they were only 3?

[mrskippy]

Garamendi is supposed to make an announcement shortly whether he is entering the race or not. Could be interesting if he does.

I want to see how people will treat the No on The Recall, But Vote for Democrat concept. Something tells me it'll backfire.

[ISiddiqui]

I don't think it'll even work (No on Recall, but Vote Democrat), because those people who like Bustamante better (almost every Dem ;)) will vote YES on the recall to get Bustamante to be governor instead of Davis.

I think with Bustamante running, Davis is all but dead.

[mckerney]

Originally posted by Swaggs
I am shocked I haven't heard any Total Recall references yet.

May not have been any here, though the headline in the St. Paul Pioneer Press was a Total Recall reference.

[clintl]

Channel 3, the NBC affiliate in Sacramento, used a Total Recall reference on its 11 pm news broadcast last night.

I see that Garamendi is in, and Issa dropped out.

[Ufer]

Local news stations don't know how to cover politics, or don't care. The little coverage they broadcast is mostly about the strategy or the entertainment value and not about the issues.

For those interested: here's the press release and report of a study on this issue:
http://www.learcenter.org/html/about/?&cm=/lclna072303
http://www.localnewsarchive.org/pdf/LocalTV2002.pdf

Garamendi already has 2 failed runs for governor, so he's one up on Simon...

[clintl]

Yeah, but Garamendi had almost no chance either time. The Democratic nominee was pretty much preordained both times, and he (coming from a small Central Valley town) had almost no chance to raise the funds needed to compete. Both times, I thought he ran a very solid campaign, given the resources he had to work with and his geographical disadvantage of not being from LA or the Bay Area.

[mrskippy]

CNN also has used the Total Recall reference. A local newspaper also did.

[mrskippy]

BTW with Issa, the major supporter of the recall effort, out, it takes even more credibility out of the right-wing conspiracy garbage the Dems. have been tossing out.

Also, I wouldn't be surprised in Simon and/or McClintock threw in the towel to.

With two prominant Dems. in the race, if the Republican party really wants to stymie Davis, they'd throw all their weight behind Arnold.

I think we're in for an interesting next few days until the Saturday deadline passes.

[clintl]

I think Issa just bailed because he knew he had no chance. McClintock and, to a lesser extent, Simon are both pretty hard-headed, and I doubt they'll both bow out, especially since Arnold does not really represent their views.

[mrskippy]

BTW, I really never knew too much about Arnold's background. But reading this makes me think he might be the right guy for the job.

http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/columns/weintraub/story/7036093p-7984463c.html

[heybrad]

Simon is too stupid to realize that he will lose.

[clintl]

Reading that article makes me think Arnold should be a Democrat.

I still don't like the idea of rich guys with no experience thinking they are qualified to start at the top. I know there are some who have done fine, but I would prefer that they prove their political skills in a lower office first, where they can't do as much damage if they're in over their heads.

[mrskippy]

Originally posted by clintl

I still don't like the idea of rich guys with no experience thinking they are qualified to start at the top. I know there are some who have done fine, but I would prefer that they prove their political skills in a lower office first, where they can't do as much damage if they're in over their heads.

Tell that to Reagan.

The thing that makes Arnold a Republican are his fiscal views are probably more in-line with the Republican party than the Democrats.

[Buccaneer]

Originally posted by clintl
Reading that article makes me think Arnold should be a Democrat.

I still don't like the idea of rich guys with no experience thinking they are qualified to start at the top. I know there are some who have done fine, but I would prefer that they prove their political skills in a lower office first, where they can't do as much damage if they're in over their heads.

Having a decisive leader that base decisions on common sense is 100x better than a bureaucratic political wonk who thinks like a lawyer. Nearly all of the problems in politics is that there are way too many of the latter and not enough of the former.

[clintl]

Originally posted by Buccaneer
Having a decisive leader that base decisions on common sense is 100x better than a bureaucratic political wonk who thinks like a lawyer. Nearly all of the problems in politics is that there are way too many of the latter and not enough of the former.

Knowledge and personal relationships are important, too. You wouldn't hire someone who was CEO of a retail clothing chain to be the new CEO of your high tech electronics company. You would always look for a decisive leader who already knew the business to be your top guy. That's the point I'm making. And it's even more important when you're talking about picking someone to run a state (especially a large one), because running a state is a lot more difficult than running a corporation.